The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-10
Stories of Criminals.
From the International Record


From the International Record.
We have at the New York State Reforma-
tory casuistry class. One morning the
teacher said:
"Now, boys, I would like to get your
opinion whether, from the standpoint of
moral casuistry, honesty is the best policy,
after ALL One of those fellows answered:
81 believe that honest is the best policy,
though am not an honesty man myself /
know two fellows in New York, who used
to be crooks, and were always getting into
trouble, but they reformed and got in luck.
They went over to Philadelphia, and went
into the clothing business, first as clerks, and
they kept right along for eight or nine
years, and finally they got to own an estab-
lishment, and people had confidence in them,
and they got credit to the extent of
1000, and they got away with the whole
of it,"
When in the Ohio Penitentiary one day,
the wife of a prisoner, an accomplished New
England lady, handsome, cultivated, ir
resistible-to the chaplain, anyhow-solicited
my offices to go with her to the Governor
to ask for his pardon. had to say to her:
mo, madam, there are a hundred men
here more deserving of a pardon than your
husband | will introduce you to the Gov
ernor, but will not intercede for the pardon
of your husband" | took the precaution to
go to the Governor in advance, and explain to
him the situation. She presented a certiti-
cate from the prison physician. The Gov
ernor read it slowly:
Charles W, convicted, at such time
and place, of the crime of larceny of a horse
and buggy, is now under conviction for his
first offenSe, and he is in imminent danger
of-c-e-r-e-b-r-o-Spin al--m-e-r-menn-
mening-i-t-i-s.n At once he exclaimed:
''Good heavens! has he got all that? Let
him gon His clerk made out the necessary
papers for the prisoners release. 1t required
four men to hold him in the prison hospital,
and four men to take him from the hospital
to the carriage, A half an hour later found
him lying in bed in the fourth story of a
hotel, having walked upstairs without any
assistance whatever.
| once had the pleasure of making visit,
with the Governor of the State of Illinois,
to the penitentiary at Joliet There was
confined in it at the time a very noted
burglar from the city Of Chicago. The Gov
ernor had promised that be would have some
conversation with him i'll regard to an alibi
which he claimed to be able to prove, and
which would establish his innocence of the
crime of which he had been convicted.
had some impression of the character OF this
man when saw the warden, on sending for
him. open drawer in his desk take out a
revolver, and put it in his pocket The
prisoner was brought In and the Governor
listened to the tale of his abb. At its con-
clusion he inquired:
Chow many burglaries have you ever COM
mittedm
II don't know, Governor. l never kept
count | suppose about hundred.
''You have been very bad man"
t'Who says so, GOVERNOR
Tho Governor. was taken somewhat
aback and answered:
"The newspapers"
"Why. Governor, | have seen your name
in the newspapers once or twice. III they
will say such things about a man in your
position, what must be expected of man in
minef
He went on to remark that he need have
no hesitation in granting him pardon, for,
though he made no professions of repent
anceoit would he absurd to do that-be had
come TO the conclusion, while in prison, that
a life of crime does not pay. He had tried
it He had been all his life a burgler, he
had robbed banks, he had had hundreds of
thousands of dollars pass through his hands,
and he was Just as poor as when he began
and. having come to that conclusion, he felt
that the Governor might safely release nm,
since he fully meant TO quit the business and
follow some other pursuit for living. But,
IN so lar as Dui Sldiy III llaOi " 90 NNAe4 eN
he wished him to understand that he regard
ed it as just as legitimate vocation in life
as the practice of law-or OF mediclne-or
the preaching of the Gospel.
The Governor asked:
GLOW do you make that outT
"Why, property has certain rights,
powers, and privileges, 1t must have cor
responding obligations, and the first duty
of property is to take care of itself. If in a
country ncighborhood there are three stores
doing a general business, and there is not
business enough to support more than two
merchants families, what happenss Two
of those merchants combine against the
third, and by judicious application OF the
laws of trade, they drive him but of bust
ness and divert TO their own pockets the
nrofits which be otherwise would have made.
Everybody says that is right. Now, what
difference does it make whether this is done
nv n malicious use of the laws of trade or by
a more summary processl Why, Governor,
Won know very well that there are great
many men in this world who are rich who
have no more right to what they have than
"Do | understand" said the Governor,
"that YOU confne yourself in your depreda-
tions to that class OF people"
.'Oh.n he replied, ~ aim to- aim to.
The last man l robbed was member OF
Congress-
Il Is needless to say that the Governor did
not pardon him. He served his term, has
since served "a term in the Eastern Peniten-
tiary of Pennsylvania, and is understood
now to be in the Virginia Penitentiary at
Richmond.
-==------=---------